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Idiom Category: Clothes

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All dressed up and nowhere to go: You're prepared for something that isn't going to happen.
All hat, no cattle: (USA) When someone talks big, but cannot back it up, they are all hat, no cattle.('Big hat, no cattle' is also used.)
All mouth and trousers: (UK) Someone who's all mouth and trousers talks or boasts a lot but doesn't deliver. 'All mouth and no trousers' is also used, though this is a corruption of the original.
All talk and no trousers: (UK) Someone who is all talk and no trousers, talks about doing big, important things, but doesn't take any action.
Apron strings: A man who is tied to a woman's apron strings is excessively dependent on her, especially when it is his mother's apron strings.
At the drop of a hat: If you would do something at the drop of a hat, you'd do it immediately.
Belt and braces: (UK) Someone who wears belt and braces is very cautious and takes no risks.
Belt and suspenders: (USA) Someone who wears belt and suspenders is very cautious and takes no risks.
Big girl's blouse: A person who is very weak or fussy is a big girl's blouse.
Birthday suit: If you are in your birthday suit, you are naked.
Boot is on the other foot: When the boot's on the other foot, a person who was in a position of weakness is now in a position of strength.
Bright as a button: A person who is as bright as a button is very intelligent or smart.
By the seat of your pants: If you do something by the seat of your pants, you achieve something, but only by a narrow margin or do something without advance preparation.
Crepe hanger: (USA) One who always looks at the bad side of things and is morbid or gloomy. In olden days crepe was hung on the door of a deceased person's home.
Cut your coat according to your cloth: If you cut your coat according to your cloth, you only buy things that you have sufficient money to pay for.
Dead men's shoes: If promotion or success requires replacing somebody, then it can only be reached by dead men's shoes' by getting rid of them.
Deep pockets: If someone has deep pockets, they are wealthy.
Dig your heels in: If you dig your heels in, you start to resist something.
Down at heel: Someone who is down at heel is short of money. ('Down in heel' is used in American English)
Drag your heels: If you drag your heels, you either delay doing something or do it as slowly as possible because you don't want to do it.
Dress to kill: When someone is dressed to kill, they are dressed very smartly.
Dressed to the nines: If you are in your very best clothes, you're dressed to the nines.
Dyed-in-the-wool: If someone is a dyed-in-the-wool supporter of a political party, etc, they support them totally, without any questions.
Eat my hat: People say this when they don't believe that something is going to happen e.g. 'If he passes that exam, I'll eat my hat!'
Feather in your cap: A success or achievement that may help you in the future is a feather in your cap.
Fit like a glove: If something fits like a glove, it is suitable or the right size.
Fly by the seat of one's pants: If you fly by the seat of one's pants, you do something difficult even though you don't have the experience or training required.
Fur coat and no knickers: Someone with airs and graces, but no real class is fur coat and no knickers.
Gloves are off: When the gloves are off, people start to argue or fight in a more serious way. ('The gloves come off' and 'take the gloves off' are also used. It comes from boxing, where fighters normally wear gloves so that they don't do too much damage to each other.)
Goody two-shoes: A goody two-shoes is a self-righteous person who makes a great deal of their virtue.
Grey suits: The men in grey suits are people who have a lot of power in business or politics, but aren't well-known or charismatic.
Hand in glove: If people are hand in glove, they have an extremely close relationship.
Hang by a thread: If something hangs by a thread, there is a very small chance indeed of it being successful or surviving.
Hard on someone's heels: If you are hard on someone's heels, you are close to them and trying to catch or overtake them. ('Hot on someone's heels' is also used.)
Have a trick up your sleeve: If you have a trick up your sleeve, you have a secret strategy to use when the time is right.
Have your collar felt: If someone has their collar felt, they are arrested.
Hot under the collar: If you're hot under the collar, you're feeling angry or bothered.
I'll eat my hat: You can say this when you are absolutely sure that you are right to let the other person know that there is no chance of your being wrong.
If the cap fits, wear it: This idiom means that if the description is correct, then it is describing the truth, often when someone is being criticised. ('If the shoe fits, wear it' is an alternative)
In another's shoes: It is difficult to know what another person's life is really like, so we don't know what it is like to be in someone's shoes.
In someone's pocket: If a person is in someone's pocket, they are dependent, especially financially, on them.
Keep it under your hat: If you keep something under your hat, you keep it secret.
Keep your pants on: If someone tells you to keep your pants on, they mean that you should be patient and not make them rush.
Keep your shirt on!: This idiom is used to tell someone to calm down.
Keep your wig on!: (UK) This idiom is used to tell someone to calm down.
Kick up your heels: (USA) If you kick up your heels, you go to parties or celebrate something.
Kick your heels: (UK) If you have to kick your heels, you are forced to wait for the result or outcome of something.
Kid gloves: If someone is handled with kid gloves, they are given special treatment and handled with great care.
Knickers in a twist: When your knickers are in a twist, you are angry and snappish over something trivial. 'Whenever he loses his car keys, he gets his knickers in a twist.'
Knock your socks off: If something knocks your socks off, it amazes and surprises you, usually in a positive way.
Laugh up your sleeve: If you laugh up your sleeve, you laugh at someone secretly.
Lose your shirt: If someone loses their shirt, they lose all their money through a bad investment, gambling, etc.
Notch on your belt: A success or achievement that might help you in the future is a notch on your belt.
Off the cuff: If you do something off the cuff, you do it without any preparation.
Old hat: If something's old hat, it seems rather old fashioned and dated.
On pins and needles: If you are on pins and needles, you are very worried about something.
Out of pocket: If you are out of pocket on a deal, you have lost money.
Pass the hat: If you pass the hat, you ask a people in a group to give money.
Pop your clogs: When someone pops their clogs, they die.
Pull up your socks: If you aren't satisfied with someone and want them to do better, you can tell them to pull up their socks.
Pull yourself up by your bootstraps: If you pull yourself up by your bootstraps, you make the effort to improve things for yourself.
Put a sock in it: If someone tells you to put a sock in it, they are telling you to shut up.
Put it on the cuff: If you put something on the cuff, you will take it now and pay for it later.
Put yourself in someone's shoes: If you put yourself in someone's shoes, you imagine what it is like to be in their position.
Shoe is on the other foot: If the shoe is on the other foot, someone is experiencing what they used to make others experience, normally negative things.
Shoestring: If you do something on a shoestring, you try to spend the absolute minimum amount of money possible on it.
Show someone a clean pair of heels: If you show someone a clean pair of heels, you run faster than them when they are chasing you.
Smarty pants: A smarty pants is someone who displays the intelligence in an annoying way.
Take to your heels: If you take to your heels, you run away.
Take your hat off: If you say that you take your hat off to someone, you are showing your respect or admiration.
Take your hat off to somebody: If you take your hat off to someone, you acknowledge that they have done something exceptional or otherwise deserve your respect.
Talk out of your hat: If someone is talking out of their hat, they're talking utter rubbish, especially if compounded with total ignorance of the subject on which they are pontificating. ('Talk through your hat' is also used.)
Throw down the gauntlet: Throw down the gauntlet is to issue a challenge to somebody.
Throw your hat in the ring: If someone throws their hat in the ring, they announce that they want to take part in a competition or contest. 'Toss your hat in the ring' is an alternative.
Tighten your belt: If you have to tighten your belt, you have to economise.
Too big for your boots: If someone is too big for their boots, they are conceited and have an exaggerated sense of their own importance.
Too big for your britches: If someone is too big for their britches, they are conceited and have an exaggerated sense of their own importance.
Tough as old boots: Something or someone that is as tough as old boots is strong and resilient.
Trail your coat: If you trail your coat, you act in a provocative way.
Under someone's heel: If you are under someone's heel, they have complete control over you.
Under your belt: If you have something under your belt, you have already achieved or experienced it and it will probably be of benefit to you in the future.
Velvet glove: This idiom is used to describe a person who appears gentle, but is determined and inflexible underneath. ('Iron fist in a velvet glove' is the full form.)
Walk a mile in my shoes: This idiom means that you should try to understand someone before criticising them.
Wear sackcloth and ashes: If someone displays their grief or contrition publicly, they wear sackcloth and ashes.
Well-heeled: Someone who is well-heeled is rich.
Who wears the pants?: (USA) The person who wears the pants in a relationship is the dominant person who controls things.
Who wears the trousers?: (UK) The person who wears the trousers in a relationship is the dominant person who controls things.
Work your socks off: If you work your socks off, you work very hard.
Zip it: This is used to tell someone to be quiet.

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Page last modified: 6 August, 2009 20:29